I believe they tried to make it reusable, but they had some technical glitches in getting the plane to fly back into the torpedo tube.

Well, at least I thought I was funny.

My godmother is dying from ALS, and she's at the point where she probably won't see Christmas. They say it's one of the worst ways to go, as your mind stays sharp as you gradually lose the use of your muscles. She lost the use of her arms a year and a half ago. She's at the point where she can't swallow anymore and can't get out of bed. Throughout, though, she has kept the same high spirits with visitors, and still worries about the comfort of anyone coming by to see her.
While she has asked that no special measures be taken to keep her alive, as far as I know she hasn't considered suicide. What bothers me is those who imply that she is dying without dignity. I fail to see how how her suicide, whether assisted or not, would ever be referred to as allowing her to "die with dignity". Would a overdose on coke (as someone suggested above) really be more dignified?
I'm not trying to argue whether or not people should be allowed to make their own choices when terminally ill. I just want to make the point that suicide is not the same thing as dying with dignity.

I had a similar situation once in which I was working away as a contractor, but the manager wasn't really aware of everything I was doing.

The best advice I received, which came from an outside source, was to start emailing the team leader and the manager a quick "status" update every week. Just a quick email about what I was working on that week, what I accomplished, and any issues they should be aware of or handle. It worked very well, and it tended to cut down any interruptions from them wandering by asking me "how's it going?" As time went on, they learned to trust me more as a professional, and it became less of an issue.

Now, I hate mandated weekly status reports as much as anyone, but if the perceived problem on their end is that they don't know enough about what you're doing, I would much rather start sending them email with the relevant information. Otherwise, you might find you have to start filling out detailed weekly status reports, attending regular status update meetings, or something else more painful that a quick email.

OMG!
For the love of god, think of the drug dealers!

Maybe the computer it was running on got a worm?

So, because I haven't logged into my Facebook account for 4 years, TFA says I'm "uninformed" and part of the "information-poor underclass"?

Funny - I was actually avoiding Facebook and Twitter because I prefer information, as opposed to, you know, gossip, cat pictures, and what my acquaintances are having for lunch.

Now I know better. Thanks, Network Scientists!

Excellent point.

Along the same lines, does a C++ rand() function have free will?

I would say it doesn't, even though it appears that it does.

Being a /.er, I won't let my complete ignorance of this project stop me from commenting.

I have to say, though, that this sounds like what happens to a large scale basic science research project when a Project Manager gets a hold of it.

"Maybe regular status reports will help those discoveries get made on schedule!"

Although it's getting scarce, it's still very cheap.

I went out to buy a pound of helium, and they wound up paying me $50.

Is it just me, or is there an echo in here?

If they use the remaining $99 million for advertising, it might actually work.

I can see a subtle difference in my expectations, depending on my mood.
When I'm in a good mood, I just want my smart phone to do what I tell it to do.
When I'm in a bad mood, my phone damn well better do exactly what I tell it to do, if it knows what's good for it.

Word is they want to expand into content, maybe with a built-in RSS feed of headlines from a news organization.

Too bad there's no real news company with a similar name.

Actually, I do have an image in my head.

Bill Nye is on one end of the board room table with bubbling beakers and flasks connected with plastic tubes, Seth Green is on the other end of the table building obscene clay figures of celebrities, and Richard Branson parachutes in through the skylight.

> supported by Richard Branson, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and Seth Green

My imagination can't comprehend what a business meetting or board meeting would be like with these three, but I bet it's awesome!